SDV Insights

Preventing Pitfalls in Policyholder Pandemic Pleadings: Lessons Learned from Recent Restaurant Rulings

Recently, federal courts in California and Florida dismissed claims brought by restauranteurs against their insurance companies after the insurers denied business-interruption coverage for losses related to COVID-19 quarantine orders. In both cases, the courts held that the policyholders had not sufficiently alleged that their properties had suffered "direct physical loss or damage," as required by both policies to trigger coverage.

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Fuel Thieves Strike Again, and Again, and Again... 11th Circuit Concludes Each Fuel Theft Constituted a Separate

In the case of Port Consolidated, Inc. v. Int'l Ins. Co. of Hannover, PLC, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that an insurance claim involving repeated thefts of fuel from a singular scheme constituted multiple "occurrences" under the insurance policy at issue. Moreover, because none of the thefts exceeded the policy's per occurrence deductible, the Court found that the insurer properly denied coverage.

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U.K. High Court COVID-19 Victory for Policyholders May Set a Trend in the U.S.

On September 15, 2020, in a matter entitled The Financial Conduct Authority v. Arch & Others1, the High Court of Justice of England and Wales, the equivalent of a trial court in the U.S., issued a ruling on a COVID-19 business interruption insurance case (the "Judgment"). Significantly, the Court sided with policyholders on most key coverage issues under specific non-damage business interruption insurance coverage forms

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Ten Clauses You Need in Your Insurance Exhibit

Although the Construction SuperConference has been canceled this year, Michael V. Pepe was recently featured in their construction monthly reader. Check out "Ten Clauses You Need in Your Insurance Exhibit," as he addresses insurance terms that are vital to construction contracts and subcontracts.

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Lucky No. 7: Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Issues Pro-Policyholder Decision Regarding Additional Insured Coverage for Upstream Parties

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that a subcontractor's insurer was obligated to defend and indemnify the project owner's insurer for damages associated with the subcontractor's employee's personal injury lawsuit where the underlying complaint alleged negligence by the additional insureds. The case cements the notion that under Illinois law, one can significantly benefit from the facts presented in third party complaints as a basis for additional insured coverage.

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Required Disclosures and Notifications of Employee COVID-19 Exposure

As businesses reopen amid rising COVID-19 cases, employers must navigate through the hurdles of maintaining a safe workplace during a pandemic.

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Not Everything is a Pollutant: A Summary of Recent Cases Supporting a Common Sense and Narrow Interpretation of the CGL's Pollution Exclusion

Those of us who suffered through law school are familiar with the argument that there are fundamental rules applicable to contract interpretation and that a certain contract language interpretation would "swallow the rule." However, insurance companies have long advocated for an interpretation of the CGL policy's pollution exclusion that would "swallow the coverage" that the insureds thought they were purchasing.

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Up in Smoke - 5th Circuit Finds No Coverage for Hydrochloric Acid Spill Based on Pollution Exclusion

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that an insurer was not obligated to pay damages associated with a hydrochloric acid spill based on a pollution exclusion in the policy.

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The Next Wave: COVID-19 Workers Compensation and General Liability Claims Likely to Spike

To state the obvious, the global "COVID-19" pandemic has resulted in substantial financial losses for many businesses and furloughed workers. Forced shutdowns, lower consumer demand, and reduced capacity/shortened hours of operation have translated to lower revenues for many companies, causing them to make hard decisions. These tough choices include cost-cutting measures (layoffs or furloughs), bankruptcy restructuring, or even permanent closure.

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COVID-19 Win for Policyholders! Court Approves

A Missouri federal district court recently provided a significant victory for insurance policyholders for COVID-19 losses. In Studio 417, Inc. v. The Cincinnati Insurance Company 6:20-cv-03127-SRB (W.D. MO, So. Div., Aug. 12, 2020), the Court was called upon to decide whether allegations involving the presence of COVID-19 in and around physical structures qualifies as "direct physical loss or damage" to covered property.

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